


Invitational

by afterthefair



Series: where tomorrow lies [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Homophobia, M/M, Racism, Soulmates, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 17:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterthefair/pseuds/afterthefair
Summary: Auston and Mitch meet the pride of the 1995-96 UCLA Men's Basketball team, who have been bonded since college.





	Invitational

**Author's Note:**

> This is not what I'm supposed to be working on! But it's what I really wanted to write. One day, I will learn enough about college basketball in the 90s to write the Drew/Victor novel. This takes place around three months after the main story, and you need to read that for this to make sense.

Auston's agent texts him out of the blue on a Tuesday. 

_You're going to get a phone call soon. I thought it was okay to pass along your number._

Auston texts back _okay_ and waits. 

The number has an area code he doesn't recognize when it rings, but he answers and says hello. 

”Auston.” The voice is older and sounds male; the man also sounds happy to hear his voice. “It's so nice to talk to you. This is Andrew Houdshell.” 

Auston’s brain trips over the name for a second in excitement. Andrew Houdshell and Victor Robinson played basketball for UCLA in the 90s. They're bonded. Auston should have been expecting this call. 

”Victor and I thought it was time to meet you and your bondmate,” he says jovially. 

”Mr. Houdshell,” Auston starts, before being told to call him “Drew.” “We’d be honored.” 

There was a framed magazine article about them in Auston's bond specialist’s office when he was a kid, all about how they won championships with UCLA three years in a row before they graduated and disappeared. They're a footnote in most discussions of prominent bonds, outshone by politicians and celebrities, but Auston's bond doctor had very deliberately taken down the picture and explained their story to Auston. They dealt with so much just trying to play, they're as important to Auston as any hockey player. 

”We’d love it, I'm sure Mitch would, if we could fly you and Mr. Robinson out for a game,” Auston says. “We should all get to know each other.” 

He gets a text from Mitch while he has Drew on speaker comparing their calendars, a simple _what are you so excited about_ followed by _why are you nervous? Whats going on?_

He texts back, _Houdshell and Robinson. Coming to see us,_ and gets a burst of happiness over the bond. 

Auston agrees to put Drew in touch with the Leafs for details, but it looks like Auston and Mitch are going to meet the only other bonded athletes alive. 

\- 

Auston and Mitch meet them for an early dinner on a game day. The restaurant where they meet is one of Mitch's favorites, mostly because it's tiny and the staff are protective of them. 

Auston knew what to expect, has seen pictures and read stories, but when they walk up and he sees how light Drew’s skin is in comparison to Victor’s darkness, how they're both big enough to draw attention anywhere, Auston viscerally feels the distance between their situation and his and Mitch's. He doesn't know how they survived it, being obviously of different races and the same sex at the time they were playing. He feels like he and Mitch got lucky. 

He and Mitch both stand up as the older men walk towards them. Mitch looks like he's itching to hug someone, and Victor opens his arms obligingly. 

They settle into their seats after introductions are made and Auston doesn't know what to ask first. 

Victor smiles at him. “This isn't a one-time thing. You can ask us anything, any time you need.” He's huge and welcoming, closer to Boyle and Bozie’s age than to Auston's parents. They're about forty, Auston realizes. They've been together for twenty years. 

The four of them order, and talk about the trip and the upcoming game, light conversation. 

What Auston notices most as they talk is how Drew and Victor laugh at things no one else sees and reach out to touch each other when there's no clear reason. Auston gets it suddenly, the reason why unbonded people are sometimes uncomfortable around bonds. He imagines it’s hard to watch people interact and know you're always going to be on the outside of their conversation, but Auston finds it comforting. 

Mitch feels as settled as Auston has ever felt him. He was expecting excitement, and there's some of that there, but he's mostly a happy hum in Auston's head. It's phenomenally relaxing to be around people who get it. 

”We had to meet you,” Drew says, “especially once you were doing well. We were jealous.” 

”That's what I wanted to ask,” Mitch says. “Why didn't you go pro?” 

Drew looks at Victor, who nods at him. “Victor sat me down at the end of our junior year. He didn't want to do it anymore and wanted to know how I felt.” 

Victor reaches out and covers Drew’s hand with his. “It just wasn't fair to either of us. I knew if we kept playing, it would be worse. I just wanted to have a life. It was enough that I got him, I didn't need anything else.” 

Drew looks at him, smiling, before turning back to Auston and Mitch. “He's been embarrassing for twenty years.” Victor drops his hand, laughing. “We started applying for jobs in San Francisco; Victor’s from there, and we figured we'd be able to just live there. I coach basketball at a high school, and Victor pays the bills.” 

”I have an office job. I don't get to win anything anymore, but it was good enough to support us and our kid.” 

Mitch perks up and Auston can feel him get excited at the statement. 

”Her name is Janie. She's with Victor’s brother right now. She's ten. We try to keep her away when the press tries to check in on us every few years,” Drew says, and at Mitch's look he pulls out his phone and starts looking for pictures. 

While he and Mitch are occupied, Auston turns to Victor. “How did you…?” 

”She was the baby of one of Drew’s younger cousins who couldn't raise her. Drew went back to Oklahoma, adopted her, and brought her to live with us, then I adopted her. We've all been together ever since.” 

Mitch shows Auston the phone. It's a Christmas picture, a big tree in a modest living room, and Drew and Victor have their arms around a smiling little girl with freckles and brown hair who's obviously holding the camera. 

When he looks up, Drew and Victor are still smiling softly down at the phone. It's like the dreams before he and Mitch bonded: a big sign saying, “This will be yours, you just have to take it.” 

Their entrees arrive, and they tell Drew and Victor how they met and how they're adjusting, what it's been like for the past months playing on the same team. 

”What was it like when you met?” Mitch asks. 

Victor puts his fork and knife down. “I was more prepared than Drew was. I knew I was gay and I knew it was coming. I had a boyfriend in high school, so my family was prepared.” 

”I wasn't,” Drew says. He smiles, but there's pain there. “I'd gotten to eighteen just assuming I could get out of it. I never told my parents I was gay. And then we met that first week of school, and I couldn't deny it.” 

”I took him home with me for a weekend so he could relax.” 

”It's hard convincing yourself you're never going to be accepted anywhere when people are telling you to call them ‘Auntie’ and asking when you can babysit,” Drew laughs. Victor reaches up and brushes his hand against the back of Drew’s neck and Drew leans into it. 

”The worst part was everyone who didn't love us. My family got used to it, but I was still bringing a black man to a small town in Oklahoma. My mom still doesn't speak to some people from church.” 

”She was looking for an excuse,” Victor says into his drink and Drew laughs. 

They could have gone to a pro team together, Victor says, but they knew they weren't going to do it. The publicity was insane and there were concerns for their safety when they played road games. 

”I just got tired of hearing all the names people could come up with for white men who have sex with black men,” Drew says bluntly. Auston can feel Mitch's horror in his head and reaches out to grab his hand on the table. 

Victor smiles as he sees it. “See, but it's worth it. I told Drew that even if we couldn't take it, someone would be able to.” 

Mitch and Auston have gotten lucky. There's been chirping from opponents and some signs that haven't made it into the stands at the ACC before they get taken away, but no death threats are reaching them. No one is picketing. 

They finish their dinner and head out to send Drew and Victor off to their hotel. When PR found out they were coming, they had wanted to make a big deal out of it, maybe get Drew and Victor on camera, but Auston and Mitch insisted on leaving them alone. They're not even here for hockey, they're here because they've lived through this. 

When they've made plans for the game and sent Drew and Victor off, Auston holds Mitch’s hand as they take an elevator headed to the garage where they parked. Mitch smiles down at their joined hands and his happiness feels like it's bubbling gently in Auston’s head. 

”We’re not getting a kid for at least twelve years,” Auston says with a straight face. He hopes Mitch can feel his laughter. 

Mitch's head shoots up. “Ten?” he asks, grinning. He's echoing Auston’s amusement and pretty soon they'll just be standing there smiling at each other in an elevator. 

”I'll consider it,” Auston says as the doors open and he tugs Mitch towards his car.

**Author's Note:**

> I have real stuff to write, so I have no idea if I'll do more of these.


End file.
